Forgotten Shadows
by SakuraMoriChan
Summary: Out of everything that could have happened during summer, getting sucked into a video game was definitely not a possibility Alfred considered. How does he feel about this twist of fate? He loves it. Although, having to find his brother, possibly falling for a grumpy sorcerer and the fact his friend refuses to look up any hints might make saving the world a little hard. AU, USUK.
1. An Unusual Beginning

The day had started off so normally, too. University had ended for summer just the day before, and Alfred was curled up in bed to make up for the sleep he had missed out on during the rest of the year. He had no plan on leaving the comforting warmth of the covers, he didn't care how late it was, but the universe didn't seem to be on his side that particular morning.

There was a sudden knock at the front door, somehow reaching Alfred's sleep filled mind. His eyes fluttered open, and he pushed himself up slightly with some reluctance. He sent a glance to the other end of the room and was a little disappointed to see his room-mate, Kiku, had not been stirred by the noise. Though he could pretend he had imagined the sound and go back to sleep, he decided that putting off something that might have even been important was just plain laziness on his part—heroes weren't lazy.

He tried to climb out of bed and realised, a little too late, that he was completely wrapped up in the bed sheets. Struggling only made him lose his balance, and he fell and landed face first on the floor painfully.

A very loud groan could be heard from the bundle of sheets, and Alfred finally managed to loosen their hold and escape. Despite the noise, the only form of a reaction Kiku showed was to turn over and mutter something incomprehensible.

Alfred journeyed to the door, climbing over clothes and dodging towers of video games and somehow finding his glasses in all the chaos. To be fair, most of the mess was his fault; he just never seemed to have time to clean up the flat and neither did Kiku. Well, maybe now that it was summer he would be able to help tidy things away...

He quickly ran a hand through his blond hair once he reached the door, trying to make it look he hadn't just barely won a battle with his covers. He tried to force on a smile as he grabbed the handle, but it soon widened genuinely when he saw who was actually behind the door.

"Mattie!" he said to his brother, who was looking rather surprised and holding a package. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hi, Alfred. Sorry, you're not usually up at this time, are you?" Matthew Williams showed a sheepish smile. He held the box out. "Your post was accidentally mailed to me again."

"Oh, thanks, man." Alfred's eyes lit up the moment the package was pressed into his hands. "Oh my God, I know what this is!" He darted back inside without another word. Matthew, confused, hesitated for a few seconds before following.

Alfred practically jumped to the bedroom. He slammed the door open and tumbled in. "Kiku! Kiku!" he yelled. "It's here! it's actually here!" He waited a moment for Kiku to stir and threw a pillow at him when there was no response. "C'mon, wake up! It's here, Kiku!"

This time, Kiku's eyes snapped open. He shot up, blinking rapidly. "Wh-wha—?"

"Kiku, it's finally here!" Alfred grinned, hoping for a better reaction this time.

"Wh-what's here?"

"The game! You know, that Forgotten Shadows game!"

"Oh." Kiku's eyes widened. "Oh. I-it's here? Really?"

"Yep! Finally, after waiting and waiting..."

"Um." Matthew was stood in the doorway. "What's going on...?"

"The most important event in my entire life," Alfred said, completely serious. "_That's _what's going on, Mattie."

"I don't—"

"It's an RPG game," Kiku added helpfully, sitting cross legged on the bed. "A rather old one at that. I suppose you could say the game-play and graphics are similar to the older Final Fantasy games. Unfortunately, it went unnoticed when it was first released, so it wasn't distributed very widely and there were no attempts at making any sequels, which is a shame because the storyline is said to be amazing. It has been developing quite a following lately, so all RPG fanatics have been trying to get their hands on a copy."

"And. It's. Finally. Here!" Alfred almost sang for joy.

"But... but that must've been so expensive!" Matthew stared at him. "How much did this cost you?"

Alfred paused. Kiku looked away awkwardly.

"The important thing is," Alfred said, "it's finally here."

As if he thought this closed the conversion, Alfred turned to the computer in the corner of the room. He began carefully opening the box and taking off the packaging to reveal a small but somehow new looking plastic case. Matthew frowned at him, and Kiku jumped up and said, "I-I will get some ice-cream to celebrate. Matthew-san, would you like some?"

"No thanks," Matthew said, and he turned to Alfred as Kiku fled the room.

"_Another _video game, Alfred?"

"Well, yeah!" Alfred glanced back at him from where he sat. He had just turned the computer on and opened the case. "I swear, this isn't like all those other times. This one is really worth it!"

"But it must have cost a fortune!" Matthew sounded exasperated. "I thought you said you lost your job. How did you pay for it?"

"Kiku and I split it," Alfred explained. "I don't get why you're worrying so much."

"I'm worrying because you don't seem to do enough of it. How are the two of you going to pay the rent if you spent so much on this game?"

"We're not that broke, Mattie! We still have loads left. Besides, Kiku still has his job and I'm going to get another."

"You say it like it's all going to be so simple... You can't just expect everything to work out so easily..."

Alfred looked at him. "Yeah? I know that, Mattie; life's cruel or whatever. And with the way my life's been going, sometimes being optimistic's the only thing I have."

"Oh..." Matthew stiffened slightly. "No, I didn't mean—"

The screen lit up, taking Alfred's attention and stopping whatever would have been said next. Alfred smiled and happily clicked the 'New Game' option.

"Hey, Kiku!" he called. "Hurry up! It's starting!"

The screen was blank at first, then a tiny pixelated women appeared in the centre. Even with the graphics, long blonde hair and her white dress were pretty easy to make out.

_"Welcome_!" A text box popped up suddenly. "_Please write your name."_

Alfred quickly complied.

_"Alfred? Yes, that is a noble name... Perfect for a hero such as yourself."_

Matthew couldn't help but sigh when he saw Alfred's silly grin.

_"My world," _the text box continued, _"is currently facing a great peril. A powerful sorcerer has sealed my power and filled the land with monsters. Because of this, tension has risen between the two great kingdoms—we are currently at the brink of war. Many lives will surely be lost if this continues, and the sorcerer's power only continues to grow. Please, Alfred, will you save us?"_

A YES/NO option appeared, and Alfred laughed to himself. What kind of question was that? Of course he'd help! It wouldn't be much of a game if he refused, would it? He grabbed the mouse and went straight to 'YES'.

_"Thank you." _The women seemed to smile, though that might have just been a glitch with the pixels. _"The journey will be dangerous, but I have the utmost faith in you. Thank you..."_

Suddenly, the screen glowed a chilling white. The light was almost blinding, and it lit up the room. Alfred stumbled from his chair.

"Is... is this part of the game?" Matthew asked, backing away slightly.

"Um, probably?"

The light only grew brighter and brighter. Neither of them thought to leave the room; by then it was too late. There was a final flash and the world went dark, Alfred screaming as he felt himself falling...

Kiku returned a few moments later.

"I have the ice-cream! I hope I didn't miss too much, Alfr—"

He stopped. Blinked. Looked around. Both of his friends had vanished without a trace.

"...Alfred-san?"

* * *

—_Chapter end._

_I have always wanted to write a story like this! XD I've had this idea for a while, and I am so glad to finally find a chance to write it X3_

_Now then, updates to this may be a bit random since I am an idiot with too many ongoing stories to handle, and this will especially become a problem once school starts again 0-0 I guess I just wanted to write something before Christmas, though that's also weird 'cause this fanfic is based in summer XD_

_Well, merry Christmas everyone! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then I hope you have a great day anyway XD_

_Please review and tell me what you think ^_^ _


	2. Waking Up in Odd Places for Odd Reasons

The first thing Alfred felt was the wind. He grunted, frowned, eyes still closed, and when they opened tiredly they immediately had to shut again. The light was almost blinding; it took him a few seconds to realise it was the sun.

With a slight squint this time, he found himself staring up at trees and birds and a very blue sky. He was outside. Why? Alfred had no idea.

More than a little confused, Alfred climbed to unsteady feet and gave his surroundings a quick look. He was in some kind of forest, trees visible wherever he turned. Grass and flowers were beneath his feet, a huge, glittering lake was in the distance and the calls of birds could be heard overhead. The area was beautiful and green, but that didn't matter to Alfred.

He had just woken up in an unfamiliar forest—there was also the small fact that he was still in his pyjamas. How had he ended up here? Besides a drunken night out or a camping trip gone wrong, he really couldn't think of a good explanation for the change in scenery. The last thing he could remember was... was...

He sighed. Alfred could remember getting up earlier that morning and opening the door to see his brother, but the rest was blurry at best. What happened? How had he gone from his flat to being unconscious in some weird forest?

Well, there was no point in just standing there. He might as well look around.

* * *

When Kiku walked in on the empty room, his mind went through a variety of emotions with the most prominent being confusion. A quick search of the flat only puzzled him further. Alfred and Matthew were gone; he hadn't seen them leave, hadn't heard the front door open and the game was still playing. Where they could have disappeared to was a complete mystery to Kiku, though the fact they couldn't be bothered to tell him they were leaving was a little annoying.

He put the tub of ice cream on the computer's table and sighed. The game must have been going through a cutscene or something since the character on screen was moving on its own.

_Wow_, Kiku thought, squinting at the monitor, _he looks a lot like Alfred-san. He even has the ahoge..._

From what he could tell amongst the jumble of pixels that formed scenery, the man was wandering aimlessly around a forest. That was all that happened for the next few seconds, Kiku watching curiously until...

_"Hey, Mattie? Kiku? You guys here? C'mon, answer me!"_

Kiku jumped back in absolute shock, and he gaped at the screen with wide eyes. A text box had appeared with these words typed inside, but that wasn't the problem here. All too clearly, Alfred's voice had emitted from the computer as if he were standing right there.

"What..?" Kiku voice was quiet, realisation dawning. "N-no, that's not... that's not possible..."

He couldn't just wait around for a sane explanation, however; he needed to make sure himself. It was probably a joke, anyway. Alfred was just pulling a prank on him and somehow got Matthew in on it. Kiku would go around thinking his friend was actually in a video game, and then Alfred would jump out and laugh at how Kiku had fallen for it so easily. That was it. That had to be it.

Even so, Kiku stepped forward. He made sure his voice was clear and audible as he called out, "Alfred-san?"

* * *

Alfred froze. A little stunned, he spun around and felt a twinge of disappointment when he saw no one standing by the trees. He definitely definitely heard Kiku's voice just then. The sound had reverberated around him in such a real way that it was impossible he imagined it.

But he couldn't see Kiku anywhere. Wherever he was, it wasn't here. Hell, the voice could have come from above him for all he knew.

"K-Kiku?" Alfred turned around again hopefully. "Where are you?"

All was silent for a moment, and then, somehow more resigned—_"Alfred-san..."_

"Dude, seriously, " Alfred said, now scowling, "you're kind of freaking me out here. Where. Are. You."

_"_I'm _freaking _you _out?" _Alfred heard what could have been a sigh before Kiku continued. _"I... I'm still in the apartment, Alfred-san."_

"Huh? Really? Then how come I can hear you? Where am I?"

_"I-I really don't know, but... This isn't some kind of joke, is it?"_

"How can it be a joke if I don't even know what's going on? Okay, look, I promise I'm not pranking you or whatever, so can you please tell me where I am?"

_"Oh." _That was it. That was all Kiku said in reply. This pretty much confirmed what Alfred already knew: he was in trouble.

_"Alfred-san," _Kiku eventually said_, "please don't panic. I'm sure there is a logical explanation for this and also a way to get you out of there..."_

Alfred frowned. "Um, what?"

_"You see," _Kiku's tone was hesitant, _"this is probably very, very hard to believe, but I think you are actually inside Forgotten Shadows. You are inside the video game right now, Alfred-san."_

...

"Um, what?"

_"Alfred-san, there is probably a way to get you out of there," Kiku said quickly, "so don't panic. Everything's fine; don't worry. I-I'll call the police or the fire department or a programmer or something, so..."_

But Alfred wasn't listening anymore. He stumbled forward, giving the area a wide eyes stare, and he put a hand against one of the trees to steady himself.

_"A-Alfred-san?!"_

"Right," Alfred said suddenly, his tone unreadable. "Right. So what you're saying is that this, all this," he gestured to the nature around him, "is a video game. I am literally inside a video game right now. That's what you're saying."

_"Yes, that's right."_

Alfred could only stare. This was all impossible, something that would only happen in an anime or a bad fanfic or, well, a video game. The whole situation was confusing, strange and, as said before, impossible. Very impossible.

And yet, despite it all, Alfred grinned.

"Oh my God," he said, "I am actually inside a freaking video game! Seriously, this is awesome! I'm gonna get to fight monsters and save people and all that! I'm living the dream right now, Kiku, I'm living the dream!"

_"...Alfred-san, please don't joke around. This is a very serious situation!"_

"Believe me, I'm not joking!" This was, in all honesty, the most amazing to ever happen to Alfred. He couldn't even begin to imagine the possibilities, and...

"Wait." Alfred blinked. "Hey, where's Mattie? Is he with you?"

_"O-oh." _Kiku sounded nervous_. "He... he isn't with you?"_

Alfred gave one last glance around. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's not."

_"He's definitely not here; I would have thought he was pulled in there too... Could the two of you have been separated?"_

Now frowning, Alfred wondered where, exactly, his brother could have been. If he thought logically for a second he had to admit his knowledge of the land was almost non-existent. Matthew could have been anywhere in the whole world of Forgotten Shadows, and he had no idea where to even begin searching.

"Well," Alfred said, smiling again, "I guess I better start looking!"

* * *

—_Chapter end._

_Yay, an update! ^0^ And Happy New Year, everyone! X3_

_I'm glad that people seem to like this so far; the plot should probably move forward a little more by next chapter :) I hope this chapter was okay ^^'_

_Well, please review and tell me what you think ^0^_


	3. Practically Jumped at the Call

A little more than half an hour had passed and it was becoming increasingly obvious that Alfred had no idea where he was going and was, in fact, completely lost. This was not a discouragement, however. For every time he tripped or heard a strange noise or realised he was going in circles, Alfred could only laugh and carry on with a smile. The amazement of finding himself in a video game had not yet worn off, if it ever would. Besides that, Alfred had always been a fan of the outdoors and the green forest was pretty beautiful.

_"Um, Alfred-san?" _

"Yeah? What's up?" Alfred slowed to a stop and looked up, though he wasn't sure if that would make any difference to how well he could hear his friend or his position on Kiku's end.

Kiku's tone was still a little shaken. He was having a much harder time seeing the brighter side of the whole situation. The fact he had attempted calling the police about this 'problem' and they had only yelled at him for apparently wasting police time probably didn't help the matter. He had been very silent since then.

_"I tried looking up your location. I'd say it's safe to assume you're in the first, er, 'dungeon', so I think I've found a map."_

"Really? Awesome!" Alfred grinned. The forest was cool, but the sooner he got out, the sooner he could explore the rest of this world! And maybe get some shoes, since his feet were starting to hurt a little from stepping on so many stones and twigs. Oh, and find Matthew. "So, where do I go?"

_"It's a little hard to tell... There should be a village somewhere in this forest, and a path with it leading out. I think it's supposed to be the first place the main character goes... This is just a guess, but try heading right."_

Alfred followed this idea without any complaints, his smile only widening. If he did somehow manage to find the village it would be a great chance to get some information on this new world. In all honesty, he didn't know that much about the game, just the basic storyline. The main character wakes up in the middle of a forest with no idea who he is or how he got there. He's soon given the quest to free the magical goddess of the land and save the world, both done by defeating the evil sorcerer who imprisoned her in the first place, while the hero also tries to figure out who he is. Though slightly cliché at first, the story was supposed to have some awesome twists and turns that had earned it its fan base and Alfred had been excited to finally play it. Playing through it with a first-hand perspective only made it even better, in his opinion.

He continued to hurry through bushes and duck under branches as he went, his eyes lit up like a child with a new toy; there was something, however, that made even him slow down. The trees had only grown closer and closer together as he found himself deeper in the forest. Now, barely any light managed to make it through the canopy and Alfred frowned for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Hey, Kiku?" Alfred's voice wavered with uncharacteristic caution. Suddenly that rustling in the leaves didn't sound so fun. "Are you sure this is the right way?"

_"It should be..."_ Kiku seemed a little confused. _"I might have made a mistake, but I really thought—"_

Alfred didn't wait to hear the rest, simply jumping through the space between two trees. He had seen something, light filtering down just a little bit ahead, and he went for it without a second thought. Standing there in the darkness had begun making him what he hoped was unnecessarily paranoid.

He burst out into the brightness, rapidly blinking as he tried to glance around his actually visible surroundings. It took a few seconds for Alfred to really understand what he was seeing.

He froze.

It was like some kind of clearing, but the space was much too wide to have been made naturally. Grass did not reach this place—only a dry, barren earth lay underfoot. The trees that made up the circling wall were bent back oddly; it was as if the wildlife wanted to be as far away from the dead space as possible. There was simply nothing. Even the birds couldn't be heard anymore.

Alfred stepped forward, slowly at first but then moving to the centre of the lifeless circle at a more determined pace. Sounding concerned, Kiku spoke up,

"_Alfred-san, are you sure this is safe? I know I can't see it the way you do right now, but something about it doesn't seem right… I don't remember the guide saying anything about this area."_

Alfred didn't have time to answer with anything beyond a shrug. His foot had stepped on seemingly ordinary land; a flash lit up the empty space briefly and Alfred fell back, shaking his head, stunned. When the spots cleared from his vision, a small ball of light floated where there had previously been nothing.

"Um..." Alfred said.

The ball was moving, spreading, stretching to the size of one of the many large trees. Alfred's mouth fell open. He was still trying to decide what action would be best against whatever strange monster this was—fleeing or fighting?—when someone stepped out of the light.

It was a woman, long flowing hair framing her face along with a pair of green eyes, a white dress reaching down below her ankles. She went forward, looking as if she was almost glowing, and smiled once she saw the very stunned Alfred.

"_You have finally arrived," _she said, her voice echoing almost as if she were underwater.

Alfred could only nod dumbly. This did not seem to be the reaction the woman expected.

"_You are the one I brought here, correct?" _she asked, though she didn't wait for an answer. "_Yes, you must be. You have the same presence, the same courageous heart as the one I found…"_

As Alfred was still having trouble processing what the hell had just happened and what was being said, Kiku spoke up instead.

"_You were the one who pulled him inside the game?"_

"_Game…?" _She seemed to frown._ "It is true that I am the one who brought him to this world, but it was not for some trivial reason such as a game. This world is in peril."_ With a slight shake of her head, she turned her attention back to Alfred. _"Young hero, I am the goddess of this world. I thank you for agreeing to take up this quest."_

Slowly, Alfred blinked. "Um… Huh? Quest?"

Kiku's frown was almost audible. _"The quest to prevent the two kingdoms from battling, return the goddess' power and defeat the sorcerer…_ _Then_, _Alfred-san has to play the role of the main character? Are you really saying—?"_

"_He has to," _the goddess pressed. "_Otherwise, this world is doomed. I do not understand why you sound so upset. I asked this hero if he would save us, and he said yes."_

It was around this time Alfred finally managed to get to his feet. He looked at the goddess.

"So, um," he started, having slowly regained his composure, "what do I need to do?"

"_Alfred-san—"_

"Kiku, it's fine," Alfred interrupted. "I mean, if this place is really in trouble I can't exactly say no, right? Besides," he went back to addressing the goddess, "if you're the one who brought me in here, then that means you can send me back home again just as easily, right?"

The goddess blinked, glanced away.

"_Ah… Perhaps."_

Alfred put his head to one side, feeling a sudden twinge of alarm and possibly worry. "Wait, what?"

"_The sorcerer who sealed me away," _the goddess said with a sigh, _"he took almost all of my power from me. I used the near last of it to bring you here."_

"So, you're saying I can't go back?" Now that _was _a problem. The idea of running around in a video game was fun, sure, but part of that fun came from the thought that there was probably some way to go home if he needed to. The chance that he was actually stuck in that world forever and ever kind of risked ruining the whole experience.

"_That is not a certainty." _The goddess looked at him sadly. "_Please, allow me to explain from the beginning. This land was once at peace, a world of happiness and magic. However, almost two decades ago, a sorcerer discovered a terrible power and grew corrupted. Using this power, he decided that he would take control of this world by force. The only one who could possibly stand in his way was me." _A shadow seemed to pass over her face as she said this, but is vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

"_We fought, and though my power was almost equal to his, it was not enough. He had grown too strong. I was cursed to forever remain in this circle of earth, and that was when he took it. My power… At my normal strength, I could have easily broken through the curse, you see. I suppose that is why he did it. Whatever the case, he sealed my powers inside a crystal which he then smashed into eight pieces. These were scattered across the land, and as I am trapped here there is no way for me to retrieve them." _

"_As one last act of desperation, I attacked him with what little strength I had left. From this, his own powers were significantly weakened. However, this was not a complete success. His powers would slowly return over time. After so much time, it is very possible that his previous strength has almost doubled, and it would only continue to grow. Soon, he will be unstoppable." _

"So, um…" Alfred started. "You want me to, um, defeat him?"

The goddess' eyes widened in horror.

"_Young hero… Though very occasionally necessary, I do not support the taking of lives. The sorcerer has committed evil, yes, but that is mostly a result of the corruption infecting him. Without that, he would have been an ordinary mage. It is not his fault entirely, so a way to avoid his death would be much more preferable."_

"Okaaay, then what am I supposed to do?"

"_The pieces of crystal,_" the goddess said, turning her head as if to stare at something distant, the wind seeming to pick up slightly. "_They hold my power. If you find and bring them all to me, I will return to my full strength. After that, I would be able to destroy the curse keeping me here and release the sorcerer from his corruption. Sending you back to your home world would be of almost trivial ease."_

"Whoa, really?" Alfred stared at her, grinning again. "So, I pretty much just need to find these crystal things and everything'll be all right? Wow, for a second there I thought this would be hard."

"_Alfred-san, she just described the basic plot of Forgotten Shadows." _Kiku sighed._ "You agreed to help buy the game when you didn't even know this much…?"_

"Hey! I know _some _of it," Alfred argued. "I just thought it'd more awesome if most of the storyline took me by surprise… Oh." He stopped suddenly. He looked at the goddess. "Hey, um… Do you know where my brother is?"

The goddess frowned. _"Your brother?"_

"Yeah, you see, he was with me when that light appeared and he's not with Kiku anymore so I thought…" he trailed off. "You don't know?"

"_I'm afraid not. I focussed on bringing you to this forest so that we could meet, but only you. An accidental passenger could have ended up anywhere in this world…" _She sounded apologetic. _"If your brother truly is here, then it appears the crystals are not the only thing you must search for._

"_Matthew-san…"_ Kiku murmured.

"H-hey, it's fine!" Alfred said quickly. "I mean, Mattie's pretty resourceful. I'm sure he can wait a little while for me to find him. Besides, he's probably just in the next town over or whatever, you know? He's fine. A-and anyway, you can just find him immediately or something when I bring your power back, right?" he asked the goddess.

"_Yes, that should be simple."_

"See? Everything's fine…"

As if ignoring the very slight uncertainty in Alfred's voice, Kiku asked, "How is he supposed to find these crystal pieces, then?"

The goddess nodded at this question and held out her arm. In the palm of her hand lay a ring, the band seeming to be made of iron and a dulled greying jewel held in the clasp. Alfred took it carefully, sending a confused glance from the ring and to the goddess.

"_The jewel on the ring will glow when you are close to one of the crystal pieces," _she explained. _"The closer you are, the brighter the light. It will aide your search. Please do not lose it—it is one of a kind and there is no way to replace it."_

"Understood," Alfred said. There were no pockets on his pyjamas so he slipped the ring onto his finger. The metal was cold, almost unnaturally so; he couldn't help but shiver slightly before looking back to the goddess.

"What do I do if I run into this sorcerer guy, then?"

The goddess' expression turned serious. _"Be very careful,"_ she said. _"His deceptions know no bounds. He would surely try to trick you, lie to you, pretend to be someone he is not. If you think there is even a chance you are in the presence of the sorcerer, do not tell him of your quest. He would do away with you there and then."_

"Right… Don't trust the evil sorcerer," Alfred mumbled to himself. "Well, is there anything else? I mean, I guess I should probably be on my way."

"_Of course." _The goddess smiled. _"If possible, young hero, I would implore you to take haste with this quest. If the sorcerer's power grows too strong, there is a chance even I will be unable to stop him."_

"So I'm not allowed to dawdle. Got it."

"_You must also be cautious," _the goddess told him._ "My presence once kept them away, but ever since my imprisonment here, the land has been filled with monsters. With the right equipment they will be no problem for a hero such as yourself, but…"_

"Oh." Alfred blinked. "Monsters. Right. Yeah, I guess I can't do much to them like this, huh?"

"_I wish I could do more, put the seal has made any other forms of help impossible." _She was fading, Alfred realised. At first it could have been considered a trick of the light, but now the sky and the swaying trees were visible through her green eyes. She smiled. "_The rest is up to you. I believe in you, young hero…"_

Then she was gone.

For the next few silence filled seconds, Alfred could only stare. Quite a bombshell had been dropped on him. The fate of this world was pretty much in his hands. He had to find the crystal pieces and his brother, and though a limit hadn't been given there wasn't much time to waste. If he failed, then…

There was a sort of rustling from behind, something moving in the long grass, but Alfred didn't notice this. He only heard the slow yet confident footsteps on the dry earth. He turned, confused, and met a drawn and very very sharp looking sword pointed at his throat.

The one holding the hilt grinned at him, almost head to toe in dark coloured armour, a contrast to his pale skin. With the sword only a slash away from taking his head, Alfred swallowed.

"Well," the man said, his red eyes sparkling under a mess of silver hair, "what have we got here?"

* * *

—_Chapter end_

_I finally got round to writing another chapter ^0^ I'm sorry this took so long; as always, life tends to get in the way of these kinds of things ^^'_

_This is kind of exposition heavy, but hopefully there shouldn't be too many chapters like this ^^' Though I guess a lot needs to get out of the way for the first few chapters…_

_The identity of the mysterious man is pretty obvious, huh? XD I mean, a pale man with red eyes and silver hair… The identity of the sorcerer, though, maybe not as obvious. It's a canon character, I'll say that much :)_

_Well, please review and tell me what you think ^_^_


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